Joint-fastener.



H, P. MOMILLAN. JOINT FASTBNBR. Arrmqnion rum) JULY 14, 1910.

1,1'24 ,935. Patented Jan.12,1915.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO., PHOTO LITHO., WASHINGTQN, D C.

HUGI-I P. MCMILLAN, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

JOINT-FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

Application filed July 14, 1910. Serial No. 571,928.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUGH P. MOMiLLAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in J oint-Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in joint fasteners and has reference to a device to secure the joints of shipping boxes to prevent the unauthorized opening of the same during transportation.

The invention is especially useful in securing the covers or lids of boxes to the walls thereof so that the removal of the cover will be practically impossible without leaving marks showing conclusively that the box has been tampered with.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved device of the character named that may be stamped from a sheet of metal with a minimum waste of material and which may readily be attached to thepacking case or box in such manner that its removal without detection is practically impossible.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fastener member with protecting projections that protect the folds therein and prevent the use of a file to cut the metal at said folds without defacing the said projections.

With these and other objects in View the accompanying drawing illustrates the invention wherein,

Figure 1, is a perspective view of one end of a box or case and shows the lid or cover and the side wall secured together by my improved fasteners. Fig. 2, shows the detached fastener member in perspective. Fig. 3, is a vertical sectional view through the box or case joint and also through the two members attached thereto. Fig. 4, is another vertical sectional view through the same but the section is taken on a line at right angles to that shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5, is a perspective view of the locking member of the fastener. Fig. 6, is a side elevation of a portion of a box or case and of a fastener within the scope of my invention but of slightly different form. Fig. 7, is a perspective view of the detached modified form of fastener member, and Fig. 8, illustrates another form of fastener member embodying features of the invention.

The improved device makes use of two members which for convenience will be termed the fastener member and locking member respectively,the latter serving to.

and tang. It will be noted that the guard projections, 3, extend beyond the outer sur face, 5, of the tang, 2, and by so doing guard the fold or bend, 4, in the tang and prevent the manipulation of a file across the bend, 4, in a direction from one projection to the other without defacing or removing the guard projections which would readily be detected.

From the foregoing explanation it will be understood that the tang, 2, is turned laterally from the plate, 1, ata point between the opposite edges, 6, and,7, of said plate thus forming the projections, 3. The tang, 2, is preferably somewhat pointed at, 8, to enable it to be more readily driven into the wood of the case and it is also provided with an opening or perforation, 9, for a purpose presently to be explained.

A second tang, 10,projects laterally from the plate, 1, and is cut from said plate within the marginal edges of the latter. The exact relation of this latter tang with respect to the tang, 2, is immaterial and it may extend parallel with said tang, 2, or an angle with respect to the same, but said tang, 10, is formed by punching or stamping it from the plate, 1, within the marginal edges so as to leave metal guard projections at opposite ends of the bend of the tang. In the form shown in Fig. 2, the tang, 10, is punched from the plate, 1, so as to project in a direction parallel with the tang, 2, and the bend, 11, is protected against the action of a file by the surrounding plate which forms a frame-like structure. This tang, 10, is also provided with an entering point, 12, and an opening or perforation, 13, which opening in the structure shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 is inline with the opening, 9, of tang, 2. It will thus be seen that both tangs project from the plate at points within the outer marginal edges and both tangs are protected by metal at opposite ends of its bend.

I have found that in practice the grain of the wood in the body of the box or case often runs toward the cover as shown for example in Fig. 6 of the drawing and that some trouble is experienced in those cases in properly driving the tangs across the grain. To meet this objection I, in some instances turn the tangs so that one of them, 2, will be parallel with one marginal edge of the plate as in all the figures of the drawing while the other tang, 14, will project in a direction at right angles to the first tang, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. This latter tang however will be punched from said plate within its marginal edges, as described in connection with Fig. 2.

In the fastener member shown in Figs. 6 and 7, I also provide a third tang, 15, at one corner of the plate, 1, which may be driven into the wood simultaneously with the drivingof the other tangs and which serves to hold the plate against the case or box at that point where it might otherwise tend to curl up.

In the device shown in Fig. 8, I turn the tangs, 16, and, 17, in a parallel direction and both have position between the uppermost and lowermost marginal edges of the sheet. In thisinstance the protecting guard projections, 8, are provided adjacent both tangs.

In each instance illustrated the tangs are provided with perforations or openings which are to receive the locking member of the fastener which will now be described.

By reference to Figs. 3, 4 and 5 it will be seen that the locking member, 18, is provided at one longitudinal side edge with a plurality of inclined faces or edges, 19, which form late'rallyprojecting abrupt steps or shoulders,'20, while the opposite longitudinal side edge is provided with reverselyinclined faces or edges, 21, between which there is a beveled face or shoulder, 22. It will also be noted that on this latter longitudinal side or edge there is provided an overhanging abrupt shoulder, 23, which has position near the top or driving end of the locking member.

In operation the fastener member is properly located so as tolap over the joint with one tang placed against the cover and the other against the box for case. The plate is then driven toward thecase thus driving the tangs into the 'wood,one above the joint and the other below the joint. When driven in until the plate lies against the outer surface of the box "or case, the same is ready'to receive the locking'member, 18. In the case of the form shown in Figs. 1 to 4 the tangs, 2, and, 10, extend parallel. and the openings, 9, and, 13, will be in line. The

pointed end, 24, of the locking device is then placed on top of the cover, 25, of the case or box over embedded upper tang, 2, and the locking device is then driven down through the cover so that its pointed end will pass through the opening, 9, in the tang, 2, then out through the lower side of the cover and into the upper edge, 26, of the side wall, 27, of the box. By continuing the driving operation the point, 2 1, of the locking device will pass through the opening, 13, in the lower tang, 10- During this downward driiing of the locking member the same will be directed by its oppositelyinclined edges or faces, 19, and, 21, during its passage through the openings, 9, and, 13, of the tangs and the uppermost shoulders, 28, serves to limit the downward movement of the member by contacting with the upper tang, 2, at which time the upper end of the locking member will be flush with or below the upper surface of the cover. Any attempt to afterward withdraw the locking member will be futile because in withdrawing the abrupt shoulders, 20, will project beneath the tangs and will not pass back up through the openings for the reason that the inclined surfaces or edges, 21, at the opposite side constantly tend to force the shoulders, 20, beneath the tangs. On the other hand an attempt to drive the locking member downwardly will also fail because of the upper shoulder, '23.

In case of the device shown in Figs. 6 and 7 two locking devices will be utilized, one passing downwardly and through one tang and the other passing from the end of the case through the other tang.

It will be noted that the locking member is concavo-conve'x in cross-section,this being done to stiffen the same as it is stamped from sheet metal.

It is obvious that the fasteners above described may be attached to articles wherever applicable to secure the joint and is not intended only for securing the covers of cases or boxes.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. A joint fastener member formed from a flat sheet-metal plate and having two parallel outer side edges with two slits extending inwardly from one end, said slits being spaced from said side edges, and the metal of the plate between said slits being folded on a straight line which fold extends from one slit to the other,said folded metal forming a tang which extends at a right angle to the plate from which it was bent whereby to leave the metal between the parallel side edges and the slits projecting beyond'the said fold, said tang having a perforation therethrough, and a second tang extending laterally from the plate between the fold of the first named tang and the opposite end of the plate and said second tang being spaced from said oppositeend of said'plate. v

2. A joint fastener member comprising a plate having a tang of less width, than the "Y plate and turned therefrom below the uppermost edge thereof and said plate also having a second tang punched therefrom within the marginal edges of the plate said second tang having its fiat side positioned in a plane at at each end ofjthe bend.

right angles to the flat .side of the first named tang and the bends of both tangs being protected by the metal of the plate In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HUGHP. MC ILLANQ Witnesses:

CHARLES B. MANN, Jr., a G. FERDINAND Voe'r.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, hyaddressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

' p Washington, 1).63' 

